Every Which Way But Loose is a 1978 U.S. motion picture, released by Warner Brothers, produced by Robert Daley and directed by James Fargo. It starred Clint Eastwood in an uncharacteristic and offbeat comedy role, as Philo Beddoe, a trucker and brawler roaming the American West in search of a lost love while accompanied by his friend/manager Orville and his pet orangutan, Clyde. In the process Philo manages to cross a motley assortment of characters, including a pair of police officers and an entire motorcycle gang (the "Black Widows"), who end up pursuing him for revenge.

Eastwood's appearance in the movie, after his string of spaghetti western and Dirty Harry roles, somewhat startled the movie industry and he was reportedly advised against making it. Panned by critics, the movie went on to become an enormous success and became, along with its 1980 sequel Any Which Way You Can, the two of the highest grossing Eastwood movies.

Cast

• Clint Eastwood as Philo Beddoe
• Sondra Locke as Lynn Halsey-Taylor
• Geoffrey Lewis as Orville Boggs
• Beverly D'Angelo as Echo
• Ruth Gordon as Ma Boggs
• John Quade as Cholla
• Roy Jenson as Woody
• James McEachin as Herb
• Bill McKinney as Dallas
• William O'Connell as Elmo
• Walter Barnes as Tank Murdock
• Gregory Walcott as Putnam
• Dan Vadis as Frank
• Hank Worden as Trailer Court Manager
• George Chandler as D.M.V. Clerk

Soundtrack

The soundtrack has many popular country music hits, including the title track by Eddie Rabbitt and several numbers by Charlie Rich. One song Charlie Rich performed in the movie, "I'll Wake You Up When I Get Home", hit number three on the charts in 1979 and was Rich's last Top Ten single. Sondra Locke, who appears as Eastwood's fleeing love interest, performs several musical numbers in the film as well.

Locations

The movie has a contemporary western theme, displaying the blue collar aspects of the western United States, with many scenes shot in rural locations, cheap motel rooms, industrial facilities, and honky tonk bars. The film was shot on location largely in the California communities of North Hollywood, San Fernando, Sun Valley, and Van Nuys, Ukiah,Ca., and in Colorado, including part of Denver and historic Georgetown, where Eastwood's character engages in a comedic showdown with the bumbling motorcycle gang in an open reference to his earlier gunfighter roles.

Title Origin

The movie's title refers to the eponymous Eddie Rabbit song from the soundtrack, in which the singer complains that his girlfriend turns him "every which way but loose", i. e. he can't bring himself to leave her although he is more of a freewheeling character. The movie title is also out of the 1937 novel Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston where the main character Janie's husband Tea Cake tells her about a fight he had with a man who had a knife, where in the fight Tea Cake "turned him every way but loose", i.e. fought him but did not let the man stab him.

Parodies & References in Pop Culture

The Observer described it as a "really great ape movie" in Episode #813 of Mystery Science Theater 3000, whereas Professor Bobo prefers the sequel; called in to settle the disagreement, Mike Nelson opines that Any Which Way You Can is "a funnier movie" but Every Which Way But Loose is "better-made."

An episode of The Critic had a parody clip called "Every Which Way But Lucid" where a cartoon Clint Eastwood is making out with an orangutan with his eyes closed, saying he will make love to her while "keeping his eyes closed the whole time." The monkey then laughs, causing Eastwood to wake in anger and scream "Clyde!".

The Bloodhound Gang have a song entitled "Right Turn Clyde" on their Hooray for Boobies CD. This refers to a running gag where Clyde the orangutan sticks his fist out the window, presumably to signal a right turn, and punches a biker out.

In the 1990 NES video game Dirty Harry: The War Against Drugs, one cheat code is "Clyde."

References

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